With IBM gearing up to make a big splash in the scientific computing market, DEC does not intend to rest on its laurels, sit around and wait and see what happens. It has reacted by signing new interface agreements with both Cray Research Inc, Chippewa Falls, Minnesota, and Floating Point Systems Inc, Beaverton, Oregon. Under the agreement with Cray, the pair will join forces to develop a high-speed interface between DEC’s VAX 8200 and the Cray X-MP supercomputer. The 2.7M-byte-per-second channel interface should be completed in time for June 1987 delivery. Cray estimates that up to 40% of its customers use a VAX in either pre- or post-processing, and says the two companies are considering interfaces for the VAX 8500 and 8650. Similar interfaces are already available from Cray for IBM and Control Data computers. Under the agreement with Floating Point Systems Inc, DEC will sell the Floating Point M64/30 and M64/60 64-bit attached processors integrated with VAXes line, so that potential customers can buy an integrated product rather than having to go to two sources and get authorisation for two purchases. The move will make 100 or more key engineering and scientific applications available to DEC customers.
